Weft detecting mechanism for multicolor shuttle changing looms



Sept. 15, 1936. v R TURNER 2,054,180

'WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR MULTICOLOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Original Filed April 26, 1934 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 15, N R. G; R WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FORMULTICQLOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Original Filed April 26, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 H linull lulllluuln W Jaw/7 67 76/089 I Sept. 15,' 1936. .R. e. 'TURNER 2,054,180 WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR NuLTIcoLGR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS I 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed April 26, 1934 fab/5025 75272 Sept. 15, 1936. TURNER 2,054,180

WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR MULTICOLOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Original Filed April 26, 1.934 8 Sheets-Shef 4 E FEQ glib 2 Sept. 15, 1936. R. G. TURNER 2,054,180

' WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR MUL TICOLOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS I Original Filed April 26, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 15, 1936. G; TURNER v 2,054,180

WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR MULTICOLOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS ,Origihal Filed Apr il 26, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Sept. 15, 1936. R TURNER 2,054,180

WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR MUL'TICOLOR VSHUTTLE QHANIGING LOOMS Original Filed April 26, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 I 5 QQQOOjO Sept. 15, 1936.

R. G. TURNER 2,054,180

WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR MULTICOLOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Original Filed April 26, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Eat/5a]? WW 1 1 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEFT DETECTING lHECHANISM FOR MUL- TICOLOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Richard Greenleaf Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts 9 Claims.

This invention relates to weft detecting and loom control mechanism adapted more particularly to multicolor shuttle changing looms and is a division of my prior application, Serial No. 722,549, filed April 26, 1934.

In copending application Serial No. 593,814 there is set forth an electrical weft detecting mechanism having one feeler over the drop boxes to coact with the top shuttle and another feeler under the drop boxes to coact with the bottom shuttle, both of the feelers being fixed to the lay and their ability to detect weft exhaustion being dependent upon movement of the boxes. In that application a mechanically moving actuator having a regular movement every other beat of the loom is employed, and operates in such a Way that the detector mechanism is limited to the weaving of fabrics having two picks of one color alternated with two picks of another color. The detectors are placed so that they contact with the inactive shuttle and are always out of contact with the active shuttle.

It is desirable to be able to employ the detecting mechanism shown in the aforesaid application for the weaving of fabrics having cross stripes with more than two picks of the same color and in the present embodiment of my invention I interpose a control between this type of detector mechanism and the magazine, operative to delay the indication to the magazine until the inactive exhausted shuttle is about to return to action, regardless of the width of the stripe woven by the active shuttle.

With my improvements the running shuttle will not be detected while active and provision should be made to prevent it from becoming exhausted while active. It is a further object of my invention to operate according to a method which willv provide a bunch in each shuttle sufficiently large to weave a complete stripe during any one period of action, plus the reserve added for safety consideration. Assuming, as an example, that the minimum reserve without regard to the length of the repeat will be three picks and that the cloth woven has six picks of one color followed by six picks of another color, each bobbin will carry a bunch sufficient for nine picks. With a reserve of this size a shuttle which is returned to action may have its normal supply exhausted during the first part of the first pick if it is active, but enough reserve yarn will remain to permit the shuttle to complete its repeat and then move out of action, when it will immediately give indication of exhaustion, after which upon being returned to action a second time one pick corresponding to the single flight from the drop box end to the magazine end will be drawn from the reserve of three picks.

The so-called Knowles head for actuating the harnesses from the shuttle boxes includes in its construction a chain having high andlow balls which pass under vibrator levers. This chain is given a continuous motion as the result of which the vibrators are likely to shake slightly when passing from one ball to another. Since one of the switches in the circuit to be described hereinafter, and also the color selector for the magazine, are both actuated directly from the vibrator, it is desirable to prevent this shaking of the lever as the chain moves.

It is accordingly an important object of my present invention to provide means to prevent vibration of the vibrator lever under the described conditions, to the end that a Knowles head can be used in connection with a multicolor shuttle changing loom without danger of losing an indication at the switch or giving a misindication at the color selector. Two different means for accomplishing this result are illustrated herein, namely, a lever and cam arrangement, and a special pattern chain link.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a loom made according to my present invention and having over and under feelers together with a Imowles'head;

Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations on an enlarged scale, looking in the direction of arrow 2 and 3, respectively in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of the weft detector and shuttle box mechanism shown at the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective diagrammatic view of the operating parts of the mechanism, showing the circuits;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed side elevation of the structure shown at the lower part of Fig. 2;

Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views showing two types of fabrics which can be woven with my invention;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view indicating a chain to be used in weaving the fabric shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 8 is a similar view indicating a chain to be used in weaving the fabric shown in Fig. 8;

r Fig. 9 is a rear elevationof the upper left-hand part of Fig. 1, showing a pattern chain corresponding to Fig; 7 a

Fig. 10 is. a detailed plan view of the lever which is actuated by the vibrator for the boxes,

looking in the direction of the arrow ID in Fig. 9; Fig. .11 is adetail plan on an enlarged scale of parts shown in'the lower'part of Fig. 3, and looking in the direction of the arrow ll inFig. 3;'

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the detectors to two bobbinswhich'are depleted except for their reserve bunches;

Fig. 13 is a detail vertical section on the line |3-|3 in Fig. 3, and v e Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view similar to a portion of Fig. 1 but showing a dobby to control the box motion. v V a v Referring to Fig. 1 of the;drawings, the loom frame supports at the upper left-hand end .comprises'upper andlower cylinders 2| and 22,

thereof a Knowles head motion K and has a lay L, at the left hand end of which is mounted the 'shifting shuttle box structure B. At the opposite .orright-hand end ;of the.loom is a magazine M which is,- in the-present instance, arranged to supply.'reserveshuttles of two distinctive kinds. As shown in Figs. land 2, the head motion respectively, between which lie vibrator gears 23 mounted on vibrator levers 24. The latter in the preferred form of the invention may be positioned by the ordinary chain indicated at C as comprising: risers or large rolls or balls 25 and V sinkers or small rolls or balls 26 on which rest the runs 21 of thevibrators. These vibrators control the harness mechanism H and the rear vibrator controls the drop boxes to bedescribed. As shown here, a section 2 8 .is added to each main cylinder to actuate the box vibrator and permit adjustments relative to the harnesses. In

certain types of heads there is a separate box' section, but in either form there willbe a vibrator lever to control the boxes. 1

A .box lifter rod 30 supports upper and lower shifting'shuttle box .cells '31 and 32. respectively.

' The rear vibrator gear has a connector 29 (Fig.

:tated for the purpose of actuating 9) attachedto abox lever '33 from which extends a lifter chain 34 trained around appropriate sheaves and connected to the lifter rod 30 (Fig. 1). It is sufficient for. the purposes of the present description tostate that the balls on the box chain move the vibrator gears intoengagement 'with'one' or the other of. the cylinders to'be rothe lever 33 to raise or lower the shuttle boxes. These connections are old, and may be. as more fully set forth in Patent No. 837,284, simplified to operate two jshifting boxes.

Afixed stud 35 (Fig. 3) hassecuredtheretoa bracket'36 on the horizontal arm of which is' pivoted a selector lever..3'| having a guide head 38." Front and back selector hooks-39' and 40', re-

spectively, pass through the head and are positioned one at a time in the path of a downwardadjustable connection 44 and acts to move the 1 guide head rearwardly, or to the right in Fig. 3, against'the action of spring 45. The latter ex- 7 tends between a lug 46,011 the bracket and the 'upp'er'part of lever 31, and'tends to move the guide head forwardly to place rear hook 40 in the path of actuator pin 4|." The guide head is in this way controlled toplace either hook op- ,eratively with respect to the actuator. V V i-. The forward arm 41 of .lever 42 is adapted ,for

core 52 of a solenoid 53 carriedby the rocking lever 48. A notched overhang 54 on the forward arm 41 of actuator lever 42 is normally cleared by the latch 5| when the solenoid is deenergized, a

"light spring 55 holding the latch in normal inoperative position as shown in Fig. 13. When the solenoid is energized, the latch moves under the notched overhang and is held in that position by a hooked spring 55 supported on a small sheet metal clip 51 bolted to lever 42. The spring holds the latch in its operating position before the rockinglever starts to rise and independently of continued action of the solenoid. When the latchimoves up it will free itself from the spring hook and then engage the overhang 54. The sequence of operations is rapid andthe latchldoes not have time to. move away from the overhang rbefore engaging it. On the down stroke the latch is free to move back to normalidle position when pulling away from the overhang. The hooked spring is further described and claimed in my copending continuation application Serial No. 747,358.

A two part yielding lifter link 58 (Fig. 3) is suspended from the front of lever 42 and is attached tothe lower end of a box lifter rod 59 normally in down position. Upper and lower transfer shuttle boxes 60' and BI, respectively, are supported by the upper end of the .rod 59. The boxes are 'similar in their shuttle changing movements to'those shown in'Patent No. 1,834,302, and in my copending application Serial No. 460,746.

The magazine M is arranged to supply reserve shuttles'containing two different kinds of weft. A bracket (Fig. 3) projecting laterally from the loom frame holds the magazine by means of supports 66 extending forwardly from the bracket and attached'to inner and outer end plates 61 and 68, respectively] A back wall 69, partition 10, and front wall 1|, provide two spaced compartments or guideways for the stacks of reserve.

shuttles. a

Thebottom shuttle of the rear stack is' supported on a fixed plate 12 immediately in front of a plunger 13 normally in rear position. .When hook39 is depressed, a link 14 connected thereto will rock lever clockwise to advance the plunger toward the front, or left in Fig. 3. The bottom rear shuttle is thereupon moved into, a compartment under the front shuttlesand falls on arms 16 secured to and extending rearwardly from the lay. As the latter moves backwardly, the shuttle falls off the arms 'l6 and into the top box'fill, which has been raisedto receive it. The plunger is thereafter moved back to normal position by spring TI. This mode of transfer and of utilizing the arms 16 is set forth and claimed in my 00- pending application Serial No. 560,573.

The bottom shuttle of the front stack rests on a finger l8. pivoted on the front 'magazine wall and held yieldingly in shuttle supporting'position. When hook 40 is depressed a link 19 connected to it rocks lever 8|Jto lift a shorter link 8| attached to the finger l8, removing the latter to permit the lowest front reserve shuttle to fall into the compartment and on the support arms 16. Transfer to raised box 60 then follows substan tially as already described for the rear shuttles. The superposed front reserve shuttles are held up by a friction pad 82 (Fig.1) which presses against the next to the bottom front shuttle to support the stack when the lowest shuttle falls. When finger 18 rocks clockwise, Fig. 3, the pad 82, which is normally held yieldingly forward, is pushed back by spring action to hold the upper shuttles. At transfer the cover of box 60 is raised by rod 59 when the lay moves rearwardly and a lug 86 on the cover engages a fixed cam 81 on the magazine to pivot the cover upwardly so the shuttles can enter the box 60. I

The matter thus far described may be substantially as described in the aforesaid applications, and of itself forms no part of my present invention.

In carrying my invention into efi'ect I provide weft detecting mechanism at the head or drop box end of the loom such as is shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5. Secured to and extending upwardly from the lay is a bracket having fastened thereto an electric detector 9I provided with two wire feelers 92 and 93, respectively, which are electrically insulated from each other, preferably by being mounted in a carrier the body of which 94 is formed of insulating material. In a similar way the lower detector may have similar wires 96 and 91 and is fastened to a depending bracket 98 secured to the lay.

These detectors are so positioned that when the shuttle boxes are down in the position shown in Fig. 4 the feeler wires of the lower detector are positioned to detect the condition of weft in the bottom shuttle B, with the upper detector wires out of the path of the top shuttle B, which is temporarily active and may be at the opposite end of the loom as shown in Fig. 1. When the shuttle boxes shift upwardly the lower shuttle becomes active and moves away from the bottom detector, while at the same time the top shuttle is rendered inactive and presents its weft supply to the wires of the upper feeler. The detectors are fastened to the lay and are rendered capable of detecting weft presence by the shifting of the boxes effected through the box rod 30. The detectors themselves may be made as shown in Payne Patent No. 1,924,197.

The feeler wires 93 and 91 are preferably grounded to a cross bar 99 (Fig. 5) of the loom frame by wire I00. The feeler wires 92 and 96 are electrically connected with conductor wires I 0i and I 02, respectively. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wire IOI leads to the bottom left electrode I 03 of a two-pole switch I04 mounted on a bracket I05 on the loom frame, While wire I02 from the bottom detector is connected to the top left electrode I06 of the two-pole switch. The top and bottom right-hand electrodes I01 and I08, respectively, are connected by a wire I09 (Fig. 5). A pole piece H0 is normally urged down by a light spring III (Fig. 6) around a stem H2, and a heavy spring H3 is attached to the stem to raise the pole piece against the upper contacts I06 and I01, overpowering the light spring. An adjustable screw eye H4 is connected to spring H3 and threaded into a lever H5 pivoted to a stud H6 on bracket I05.

Lever I I5 is positioned by the vibrator 24 for the boxes through the connections shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 9, wherein there is illustrated one form of mechanism to maintain the indication free from undesirable vibration as the pattern chain presents successive high balls under the lever 24.

The flexible link 43 (Figs. 3 and 6) is connected to the outer end of lever I I5, while there extends downwardly through a part of said lever a lifting rod H1, the upper end of which is connected to certain in their action. When the pattern chain will be built a lever. H6 (Figs. 5, 9 and 10) pivoted as at' H9 to a fixed part of the loom.

Fig. 1 by engaging a high ball, the rod I I1 lifts the lever H5. When lever I I5 is down, the light spring III causes the pole piece to connect electrodes I03 and I08, but when the lever is up the pole piece is raised by the heavy spring to con- -nect electrodesIEifi and I01.

It is desirable that the pole piece maintain its contacts and the lever 31 hold the hooks 39 and 40 without fluttering or unnecessary vibration, so that the circuits and magazine controls may be employing the usual Knowles head pattern chain I accomplish this result by an additional lever I26 (Fig. 6) pivoted on stud H6 and having a stop screw I21 held against a stop lug I28 on lever H5 by tension spring I29. The lower end. of lever I26 c0- acts' with a cylindrical segment I39 secured to a hub I3I fast on the bottom shaft 50 of the loom. The segment I30 is concentric with the shaft and has an inner surface I33 (Fig. 6) to position a lug I34 on the lower end of lever I26.

The pattern mechanism is so timed with respect to the segment that when one high ball is passing from under the vibrator lever and another is approaching it, a condition which is likely to result in a slight dipping of the vibrator lever, the surface I33 will move by rotation of the bottom shaft into holding relation with respect to the lug I34. Under these conditions levers H5 and I26 are in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, with link 43 and spring H3 tensioned. Any downward pull on lever I I5 will be transmitted through lug I28, screw IZI and lug I35 to segment I30 and be resisted by the latter to prevent fluttering or shaking of pole piece H0 and the selector hooks. The pattern chain is timed so that it moves the vibrator lever upwardly, or permits its descent, during those times when the segment I30 is away from lug I34.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show two types of weaves which can be produced by the loom disclosed herein, the first of these in Fig. 7 comprising a four-pick repeat, two picks of which as at I 40 may be of one color while the following two picks shown at I4I may be of a different color, these two pairs occurring in alternation throughout the fabric. This is the type of weave employed in making crepe and requires that the shuttle boxes shift every second pick of the loom.

When weaving this so-called 2 and 2 pattern as shown in Fig. '7 and is composed of two low balls 26 alternated with two high balls 25. The segment I30 is operatively related to lever I I5 during the time that control of the vibrator lever is passing from one high ball to another high ball, but it is not operative while the vibrator control is passing from a low to a high ball, or vice versa. In other words, segment I 30 is operative on alternate beats only, and not on intermediate picks when the vibrator is subject to shift by the pattern chain. This alternate pick relation is obtained by having the segment on the bottom, or two pick, shaft 50.

My invention is not restricted to 2 and 2 Weaving, however, and I may weave a fabric having wider bands or stripes- As an example, Fig. 8

the vibrator is lifted to the position shown in which they weave.

shows a 4jand 4 pick weave, where the repeat is eight picks, four weft threads I 44 of one color being followed. by four threads I of a different color.';Such a pattern would be woven by the chain assembled as shown in Fig. 8 where a series of four low balls 26 is' followed by another series of four high balls 25. The segment I30 will take care of the spaces m and m between the first and second,'and third and fourth high balls, reading left to right in Fig. 8, but itwill not operate when the space s passes under the vibrator since this is the point in the chain where a shift of control from high to low or vice versa, would or could occur if the repeat were difierent.

In'order to prevent fluttering at such a'time, that is, when space 52 is under the vibrator, ,I use the form of link shown in. Holmes Patent No. 1,953,652, and designated herein at 150 (Fig. 8

In this way the lever H5 and pole piece are maintained without objectionable vibration throughout the time that the vibrator is raised by a series of high balls. 7

No serious fluttering occurs when the vibrator is down, since at such times the vibrator usually rests on a fixed part I49 (Fig. 9) of the head frame rather than on the low balls. At these times there is no need for moving the lug I34 ,into operative relation with the segment nor is there any force tending to disturb the lever H5, since springs'45 and II I both act to lower it, and spring H3 is slack.

Inasmuch asthe active shuttle is out of contact with its detector during the period of its activity.

a bunch B (Fig. 12) of reserve weft is provided sufiiciently large to permit. the active shuttle to weave its block of color. The weft supply of a shuttle returning to action may become depleted, except for the bunch, during the first part of the first flight of the series of picks during which the shuttle is to remain active, and the weft for the remainder of the stripe must be drawn from'the bunch. The Wider the stripe the larger the bunch and in" practice I believe it will be sufficient if the bunch is large enough to provide for a number of shuttle flights equal to the number of picks in a stripe plus three and one-half or fourextra picks.

The stripes need not all contain the same number of picks and should one stripe be narrower than the other the shuttles will carry reserve bunches corresponding'to the widths of the stripes weft carriers which lie to one side of the bunches as shown in Fig. 12. In describing the operation of the loom it may 'be assumed that the boxesare down with the inactive boxed shuttle depleted, having just moved Figs. 4,5, and 6 and 9.

Referring to Fig. 9; where the patternrchain is indicated as movingin a counter-clockwise dif rection, the first of the pair of low balls 26 has .70

moved under the vibrator lever and the latter has therefore dropped. By the previously described parts, the drop-boxes and lever H5 are down and the pole piece H0 is in contacting relation with electrodes 103 and I08. By referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that electrode I03 is connected by The weft detectors are positioned to contact with metallic ferrules F on the the number of picks'in the weftstripes;

electrode I06 corresponding to the bottom ferrule is out of circuit. 7 This condition will exist so long as the pattern chain does not alter the position of the vibrator lever, that is, no current flows through the prongs of the lower detector whenthey first strike thebare ferrule, norfor a period of time thereafter.

When the time arrives for a shift of the boxes,

however, a high ball will appear under the vibrator and raise the latter to a position such as that, indicated in Fig. 1. This results'in an upwardmovcment of lever II 8 and link II1 the effect of which is to raise lever II 5, thereby lifting the pole piece I I0 so that the latter will electrically connect the electrodes I05 and I01. It is to be understoodthat the raising of the'vibrator lever and pole piece'take place in preparation of the box shift and therefore at a time when the bottom ieeler is still in contact with the bare ferrule. The following circuit is therefore closed: Current will flow from one side of the transformer I62 (Fig. 5 through wire I63, to a ground on the cross bar -99, up from the latter over wire I00 to prong 91, through the ferrule F to the other prong 95, thence by a wire I02 to electrode I05, through I89 and I to the solenoid '53, wire I56, switch I51, wirel59, fuse I and wire I6I back to the transformer i62. Current flowing in this circuit will cause the solenoid 53' (Fig. 13) to attract its 7 of'lever 48 will result in lifting of the forward end of lever 42 to move the boxes at the magazine end of the loom fro-m low to high position preparatory to shuttle change and will also result in depression of actuator 4I, causing the latter to cooperate with-hook 39; and advance a shuttle the pole piece I10 to electrode I01, through wires fromthe rear stack in the magazine. The head motion is so timed that the vibrator levermoves to its high position, the lock knife L (Fig. 9) moves to locking position and the vibrato-r gear starts its rotation all before the drop boxes move. When the boxes start to rise, the wire prongs of the lower detector will follow the bottom shuttle up a fraction of .an inch, and there is therefore enough time for the solenoid to be energized and to attract its core. the overhang before the spring hook 56 is disengaged from it and the movement of levers 42 and 48 to effect a shuttle change operation is not interfered with by the subsequent breaking of the previously traced circuit when the bottom :being closed only whenthe loom is running.

. When operated with a pattern having a longer repeat, the :operation will be substantially as already described except that the'time interval during which the pole piece'remains in raised The latch 5I is caught under or lowered position will be longer, depending upon Whatever the length of arepeat, the circuit through a ferrule of an empty shuttle will not be completed until just before the empty inactive shuttle is to bereturned' to active position. The bunch of reserve weft is. so placed as not to interfere with the action of the feelers.

It will be understood that should depletion occur in the upper shuttle when the top box is raised, a circuit similar to'that already traced would be closed. In that instance current would flow as already traced to wire E63, thence by wire IUD, prong 83, upper ferrule F, prong 92, wire lill, electrode 33, pole piece H8, electrode I68 to wire l55, after which current would flow through that part of the previously traced circuit beyond wire I 55. It obvious that switch 15'! will break the control circuit whenever the loom is. stopped by throwing ofi the shipper handle so that even if the loom should come to rest with a feeler in contact with a ferrule and a vibrator moved to a position to close what would otherwise be a circuit, yet no current would flow.

When the loom is equipped with a do-bby the boxes are operated from one of the jacks and there arises only a negligible amount of vibration due to movement of the pattern surface. Under such conditions, the jack J shown in Fig. 14 is connected to the link H1, and lever I26 and cam 32 can be omitted without danger of fluttering at the pole piece or the color selectors.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of weft detecting mechanism for multicolor shuttle changing loom wherein electric detectors are secured to the lay and are rendered operative solely by the shifting of the drop boxes, and wherein the use of this kind of detector is not restricted to a 2 and 2 weave but can be used where the stripes of weft consist of a larger number of picks of filling. This result is accomplished by controlling the circuit at two points, one at the detector, and the other at the two-pole switch which is moved by the pattern mechanism. By limiting the time during which the control circuit can be closed to a brief interval just before the empty shuttle becomes active, I avoid likelihood of burning the ferrules F or the feeler prongs by sparking.

It will further be seen that no special delay motion is needed, since the pattern mechanism which must be employed to control the boxes is present and lends itself easily to such delaying of the indication as is necessary. The actual time during which the indication must be retained, that is, between the time that the solenoid is actuated and the start of the upward movement of lever 42 is very short. Also, it will be seen that means are provided to permit the indication of the magazine and the control of its circuits in conjunction with a Knowles head motion in such a way as to avoid any fluttering of the pole piece I 10. When using a pattern chain having a repeat of more than two successive high balls the links I 50 (Fig. 8a) or their equivalents may be used.

' The claims in this divisional application are limited to the features by which irregular or intermittent interruption of a detecting circuit is prevented, the more general features of the invention forming the subject matter of my original application Serial No. 722,549.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, pattern mechanism to control the bdxeaa patternrc'hairr forming part of the patternmechanism and ha'v ing high and low balls, a vibrator lever operatively interposed betweensaid-shuttle boxes and'said pattern chain, saidball'slpassing under said vibrator lever to effect raising and lowering of said lever, a loom-controlling electric: switch operatively connected to and positioned by the vibrator lever, and means acting in timed relation with-the chain to prevent substantial vibration of said switch when successive high. balls "are. passing under the vibrator lever. a l

2. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, a series of high and low pattern balls, a vibratorlever to' be' positioned by said balls and controlling said shuttle boxes, the balls passing under the vibrator lever to effect raising and lowering thereof, a loom-controlling electric switch operatively connected to and positioned by said vibrator lever, and means in addition to the high balls to prevent substantial vibration of the switch when successive high balls are passing under the vibrator lever.

3. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, a series of high and low pattern balls, means to move said balls, a vibrator lever positioned by said balls which effect raising and lowering thereof, a loomcontrolling electric switch operatively connected to and positioned by the vibrator lever, and means acting in timed relation with the movement of the high and low balls and operatively related to the switch to prevent substantial vibration of said switch when successive high balls are passing under said vibrator lever.

4. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, a series of high and low pattern balls, a vibrator lever positioned by said balls and controlling said shuttle boxes, means to move said balls under said vibrator lever to effect raising and lowering thereof, a loom-controlling electric switch operatively connected to and positioned by the vibrator lever, and members between adjacent high balls effective to maintain the vibrator lever in raised position Without substantial vibration of the switch when successive high balls are passing under the vibrator lever.

5. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, a series of high and low pattern balls, a Vibrator lever positioned by said balls and controlling said shuttle boxes, means to move said balls under the vibrator lever to effect raising and lowering thereof, a loom-controlling electric switch operatively connected to and positioned by the vibrator lever, and means periodically operative to prevent substantial vibration of the switch While one high ball is leaving and a succeeding high ball is approaching the vibrator lever.

6. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, a series of high and low pattern balls, a vibrator lever positioned by said balls and controlling said shuttle boxes, means to move said balls under said vibrator lever to effect raising and lowering thereof, a loom-controlling electric switch operatively connected to and positioned by the vibrator lever, an arm in said connections, a cam effective to hold said arm from movement when engaged therewith, and means to move said cam alternately into and out of holding position.

7. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, a series of high and low pattern balls, a vibrator lever positioned by said balls and controlling said shuttle boxes, means to move said balls under said vibrator lever to effect raising and lowering thereof, a loom-controlling electric switch operatively connected to and positioned by the vibrator lever, an

arm'in said connections, a cam eflective to hold saidj'arm from movement when engaged there with, and means to move'said cam out of position to control said arm while a change in the size of ball passing under said vibrator lever occurs. 7

8. In a'loom, shifting shuttle boxes,'a series of 7 high and low pattern balls, a vibratorilever positioned by said balls and controlling said shuttle boxes,rmeansto move said balls under said vi- 10 brator'lever to efiect raising and lowering thereof,

a'loom-controlling electric switch operatively connected to and positioned by the vibrator lever, an arm in said connections, a segmental cam, and

j means to move said cam to alternately holdand release said arm in timed relation to the movement of said series of pattern balls. 1 9. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, pattern mechanism to control the boxes, a pattern chain 7 having high and low balls, a vibrator'lever along which said balls pass to position said lever, a.

RICHARD QGREENLEAF TURNER. 

